Published online Jan 26, 2015. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v7.i1.116
Peer-review started: July 28, 2014
First decision: September 4, 2014
Revised: September 18, 2014
Accepted: October 23, 2014
Article in press: December 16, 2014
Published online: January 26, 2015
Processing time: 170 Days and 14.9 Hours
Reprograming somatic cells using exogenetic gene expression represents a groundbreaking step in regenerative medicine. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are expected to yield novel therapies with the potential to solve many issues involving incurable diseases. In particular, applying iPSCs clinically holds the promise of addressing the problems of immune rejection and ethics that have hampered the clinical applications of embryonic stem cells. However, as iPSC research has progressed, new problems have emerged that need to be solved before the routine clinical application of iPSCs can become established. In this review, we discuss the current technologies and future problems of human iPSC generation methods for clinical use.
Core tip: Each induced pluripotent stem cells methodology has advantages and disadvantages, as in the case of autologous vs allogenic transplantation, and the choice of appropriate strategy may vary depending on the intended use. Additionally, to avoid tumorigenesis and to establish effective differentiation into the intended cells, further investigation is needed to identify the most suitable iPSC line and how these lines should be selected.